A WebApp on Java platform typically consists of Servlets, JSP pages, tag libraries, and supporting Java classes such as beans as well as various static resources such as HTML pages and image files. All these elements are interconnected or related with each other, and as such, a WebApp is generally considered a minimal/undividable unit of which a web site is made. However, even a simple WebApp can be divided into many (mutually-dependent) functional units. Even though many of these units are logically or functionally independent of each other, they are tightly integrated due to the physical constraints. The integration points are, among others, (1) Sharing of directory structures, (2) Common use of the WebApp deployment descriptor file, web.xml, and (3) Sharing of some common resources, such as style files.

The purpose of this project is (a) to identify and define a sub-unit of WebApp (which we call Servlet Module) that can be added and removed from a WebApp in a plug-and-play fasion, (b) to devleop a common framework/tools for development and deployment of Servlet Modules, and (c) to advocate/promote "best practice" development of Servlets (or Servlet Modules).